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Chapter 15

"Excuse me, I ... I didn't know you had company Michael I'll... come back" John said knowing Natalie didn't want to see him, she had been making that obvious for the whole day and he knew it was for the better.

"No, stay... I've gotta go anyways" she told John as she stood, she leaned into Michael, kissed his cheek and started to walk out of the room

"Take care, I'll be back to see you soon" she told him as she proceeded to walk out the door, she met John's eyes for a brief second by the door and she looked down.

"Johnny" Michael said as John took the seat Nat had just exited, he put his elbows on his knees and put his face in his hands.

"Why are you doing this?" Michael asked him and he looked up at him confused

"Doing what Michael?" he asked

"Torturing the two of you, when you know you love her" he told john and he shook his head

"Just tell her already john, end this now, move on from it," he told him and John got up and started pacing around the room

"Its not that easy, Michael"

"Yes, it is, you just tell her, it'll make her happy, the two of you can work everything else out"

"No Mikey, I'm not good enough for her, she deserves better, I just hurt her to much, I'm to selfish, I have to many problems, I've made to many mistakes"

"You know John... you are such a coward, you can risk your life day in and day out but you're scared of letting her know you love her"

"Michael, I don't want to get into this with you and not now" he told him and Michael got mad

"Well you are damn it, you are going to sit there and listen to me, you owe it to me, its the least you can do." he told him sternly, john took a seat he had never seen his younger brother like this.

"You deserve her John, you always have, you're just screwed up in the brain that's all, you have some kind of fucking problems with simple words, words like Love, and its all in your head, in that pea brain of yours, make a fucking decision to be happy and then do it! Tell her you love her already and move on with your life finally before it's to late. You don't want to be one of those people who die having no one, nothing to show for their life," he told him

"Are you done with the sermon now Mikey" he asked him snide

"No, not yet you ass. If you've ever dreamed of having things, a life, ad family, then I suggest you don't let her go this time. I suggest you get your act together, or you will... grow old alone and have no one. And I can... guarantee that wasn't what Pop or even Caitlyn wanted for you" he told him nastily. John just sat there and took it. He heard his brother's words but he just didn't know what to do, how to say it to her face; it was true, he loved her. He was still sitting there for a few minutes when he heard someone scream form the hall.

Natalie left Michael's room minutes ago. She had to get out of there quickly. She just couldn't stay in there with him so close. She was pacing the halls endlessly for a reason she was unsure of when she decided to go out onto the terrace for some air. She walked out on the terrace and caught a glance at something in the bushes. She walked closer and she saw him...Travis Johnson disposing what looked like a dead body in the bushes.

John ran out into the hallway outside Michaels room when his eyes came upon them, her. Natalie with a scalpel to her neck and a man he was sure was Travis Johnson. He had seen a picture of Johnson today at the station and he knew it was him.

John noticed Natalie was calm as the man walked slowly thru the halls pushing people aside, there were a few people who screamed at the sight in front of them and Travis was starting to become unraveled by it and also by being caught by Natalie outside.

Natalie controlled her breathing, she didn't want to become upset or lose it, she could handle this, she was trained in some of this stuff, hell she had personally been in this situation a few times already and she was just waiting for her opportunity to get away from him with out him cutting her throat.

"Why don't you let me go? I didn't see anything, I won't say a word," she told him softly as he started to stop his walking.

John was freaking inside, she had a knife type object up against her throat, a mad man held it and he couldn't breath for a moment, he gathered himself and started walking slowly behind the man that held her in his arms. He caught up to them right before they walked out of the front entrance of the hospital.

"Mr. Johnson, Let they girl go" John told him as he held his gun pointing at his back, Travis turn to face him bringing Natalie around with him. Natalie heard John's voice, his calm exterior tone, she was turned around when Travis turned to see John and she looked at him, at John.

John watched Travis eye's, he looked straight into them, he never wavered them, as much as he wanted to look into Natalie's and tell her with his own eyes' that everything will be alright, he couldn't. He just had to get that damn scalpel away from her throat.

"You...you... I won't let her go," he said with Johns unwavering eye's getting to him, he regained himself

"Let the girl go and I'll let you walk out of here," he told him calmly but Travis found his nerve again.

"Drop it, drop the gun or I'll slice her throat, the same way they sliced into my Sheryl" he said and he pulled the scalpel closer to Natalie, throat, tightening the grip on her even.

"You heard me... drop the gun or she gets it," he told John forcefully now.

John watched, he had to play this save, but...but this guy had Natalie and he was just crazy enough to kill her. He had to do it, he dropped his gun.

"Okay, alright, I'll drop it and you let her go"

"Drop it and kick it over here or I'll slice her" he said and John shook for a minute, he got nervous inside but couldn't show it to Travis.

"I'm dropping it, right now, see... here it is" John told him as he laid it on the ground.

"Kick it over, Now!" he told John and John gently kicked it over.

Natalie saw the gun slid over and held her breath. As Travis bent over to pick it up he pressed the scalpel into her neck tighter and it drew a thin stream of blood. Natalie yelped in pain and jumped slightly.

The unexpected movement startled Travis and as he was straightening up with the gun his hand tightened on it. In the split second before chaos erupted Natalie saw that the safety had come off when John had kicked it over to Travis. Just as she realized it Travis squeezed the trigger and the gun went off.

John heard the gunshot and then felt an awful burning pain in his shoulder. He swore loudly and grabbed his shoulder. Blood poured from the wound and the blinding pain caused John to momentarily forget where he was.

In that split second when his guard was down Travis took that opportunity and began to drag Natalie off. "John!" Natalie screamed in panic.

Hearing her voice brought John back to his senses and he looked up as Travis was dragging Natalie around the side of the building. Fear that Travis would shoot her rooted him to the spot but he couldn't help but scream helplessly, "Natalie!" as she went around the side of the building.